4/11/26 - Community Kickoff Event
Location:
26th and Kostner
Description:
Hosted by the 22nd Ward, in partnership with NeighborSpace, the Chicago Park District, and Human Scale and support provided by Beyond the Ball. A Community Kickoff Event was hosted at the project site. Around 150 people stopped by to learn about the project, participate in hands on activities, enjoy free food (tacos, fruit, corn, churros, ice cream, and agua fresca), and live mariachi music. We encouraged people to explore the site, sign up for the email distribution list, check out the project website, fill out the digital community survey, and attend upcoming events in April/May.
Goals:
Imagine what the site can look like
Taste testing future fruit from a future orchard
Designing a mini garden park in a jar
Collect community feeback for the desing of the site
Presentation:
Takeaways:
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Conversations with the community made clear the strong support and enthusiasm for the project to get realized. Shared interests and ideas included:
A public park and green space.
An outdoor market.
Recreational amenities, with suggestions ranging from a dog run to a boxing rink.
An outdoor coffee shop to provide a place for residents and students to work and socialize.
A stage or performance space for cultural events.
These ideas reflect community interest in creating a versatile, active public place that supports recreation, commerce, study, and the arts.
“being living here for 40 years, my children grew here…i Wish for a beautiful garden”
